AdReview

VW Bollocks *Banned*

next time you are passing - take a look at the typical buyer/browser of brand new VW cars - for me this message don't fit- so what might its real purpose have been?

rosie - 11:48 22 October 2007

Surley VW must be delighted it was banned - association of vw car drivers and poor parenting - who needs it!

Charlotte - 12:29 22 October 2007

VW has had such a long history as being a reliable and consistent car brand that I think it needed to do something slightly controversial to remind consumers that is still has a mischievous character as well. All work and no play won't advance your brand.

rosie - 16:54 22 October 2007

but many brands need only to own relibale and they can make it a highly profitabl space to occupy in their market...so why take the risk

Charlotte - 15:17 23 October 2007

Surely by approving every ad the client is taking a risk. Forgetting the fact that this ad is not technically correct, if a campaign objective is to raise awareness, then surely this has done just that. We may not be the target audience for VW, but its got us talking and reminded us that, actually, VW does have something 'quirky' about it and isn't just for the conventional consumer.

Leon - 15:20 24 October 2007

I don't think it was a risk at all. To be fair I think that the average person won't be offended by this advert, its just ofcom not wanting to upset old ladies, yes it might not be shown before the watershed, but alot of people know of the advert, and as far as I know this advert hasn't got VW in anysort of financial trouble.

rosie - 15:52 24 October 2007

but almost no ads now have that very general objective of increase awareness do they - most will have at least another layer to the awareness objective - awareness fo what exactly...in this case maybe awareness that vw make stylish diesels?

Janice - 15:59 24 October 2007

Agree with Richard's comments here. There should always be a more strategic concern with communications with put forward to a consumer segment. That is, in what ways in this ad going to be interpreted, how it this new information going to integrate itself to an existing belief system? Does not this challenge existing beliefs? If it did, does it resolve the gap? Is the consumer comfortable with those inconsistencies. What brand meaning is being built here/ At the end of the day it may be a neat idea but how is this building a brand or achieving a marcoms objective?

Kirsty - 20:36 14 October 2008

I think that ads that get banned are sometimes more successful for the brand; just look at those memorable 'happy slapping' ads for Tango in the 90s. Knowing those ads were a bit controversial, Tango revelled in the sudden increase in awareness it brought them. However, I do feel that this may be a strange option for a car brand to take but still interesting none the less.

Joseph Wright - 21:14 14 October 2008

Richard: It seems obvious to me that this ad was designed specifically to cause controversy and become a "talking point." I can just imagine some young men down the pub discussing this. Not typical VW owners I'm sure you would agree.

Becki - 16:29 16 October 2008

I loved the ad in terms of entertainment. However, the last clip is the only clip that has any real relation to the tagline at the end, 'Don't forget it's a diesel'. Humour aside, what does loads of young girls saying bollocks have to do with anything? The ad seems to try and justify this/link it together by showing the little girl in the car hearing her Dad swear, suggesting all the other girls in the ad have also heard their Dads swear as they put petrol instead of diesel in their VW. I think though, that the ad would have made more sense if it showed the same man, saying bollocks to other every day mistakes, followed by the final clip. Him saying bollocks to putting petrol in his diesel car would've then suggested that it's an easy mistake to make. This, along with the tagline would have a clearer, more consistent message, albeit not as funny.

Jack - 19:34 23 October 2008

Isn't it the same girl all the way through? That's how I read the advert. The girl saying 'bollocks' to these mishaps creates intrigue - where did she hear the word etc, and then as you see her Dad at the end you learn that this is why she came to use the word. The storyline in the advert is not very clear, is the ending a flashback to when the girl first heard the word?

Rachael Stevens and Hannah Tucker - 18:15 29 October 2008

We totally disagree. This advert sucessfuly conveys the learning process children go through and how we ultimately become the people we are and illustrates how the VW brand fits into everyday life. The tag line at the end highlights how diesel cars are now visualy indifferent to the consumer, with the same vehicle specifications and drivabilty.

richard - 15:12 31 October 2008

the unintended consequences of our actions - captues this notion well BUT in a way its telling us something rather negative about the brand yet in a way that makes us forget it is rather negative - that we are likley to forget and as a result cause the car damage...now then you really would say B********S

rosie - 15:13 31 October 2008

so now i associate this brand with rude children and remember purposefully driving past their showroom without stopping when i changed my car last year - so b to them!!!

Kayleigh Harris - 11:22 26 February 2009

I think the advert is quite diverse and humorous. It is understandable that people may feel that it pushes boundaries - the child swearing. But it actually captures the humour of parenting, and situations most parents are put in.

CharlotteH - 21:06 15 October 2009

Maybe all they really wanted to do was to generate word of mouth? It seems that they've definitely succeeded.

Kirsty - 14:47 18 October 2009

I loved this ad! I have always had a really positive attitude towards VW and love that they can be daring and a little bit cheeky. I think it's a shame it got banned as it shows quite another side to the brand. However there is also the idea that they probably knew it would get banned therefore gaining them lots of PR coverage and getting people talking about them. In this case you may be able to say no publicity is bad publicity!

If you look at any other successful VW ad, you will see a constant pattern running throughout. VW ads are underlined with a constant truth of the brand. For example, the famous VW ad... "This is the man who put a million on black, and it came up red..." advertising the VW Golf GTI focuses on an inherent truth being that the car is reliable. This ad showing a girl swearing at everything she does wrong doesn't revolve around an inherent truth at all. It's main objective, in my opinion, is to shock, or to get people talking. If people are discussing this advert at work, with friends or with parents, then they're discussing Volkswagon at the same time. If people are discussing Volkswagon, then you could argue that the advert is a success...?

i agree with jack, i think the point of this advert it largely to get people talking about VW and surely you could argue that any sort of buzz created is good, as people are talking about the brand...?

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About this advert

VW Bollocks *Banned*

21 October, 2007

Ben Cowell & Alex Coles's view

This ad focuses primarily on the humour aspect of a young girl repeatedly saying 'bollocks' and that is of course the prime reason it was banned. However, ignoring this aspect, the ad is not technically correct. It feels as if the client was sold in to the concept by the agency and the ad really doesn't hold any synergy with the brand. Although, saying this, the novelty factor would have been a talking point with the target audience and may have provoked substantial word of mouth activity. nBut bollocks to being technically correct, we love it! n